defer

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb hold back to a later time
  2. verb yield to another's wish or opinion

Etymology

Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and refer as well as prelate and prefer among others.

In classic literature

Synonyms

postpone, prorogue, hold over, put over, table, shelve, set back, remit, put off

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